A recent survey on the strength of Wilmore’s social and business community did not boast positive results; however, it did not herald any surprises from community leaders either.
“We’ve done several of these reports over the years,” Wilmore Mayor Harold Rainwater said. “Not one with this level of expertise, but the results were almost predictable.
“We don’t have adequate business space in Wilmore, and the big issue is, where would you put it if we did have someone who’d want to come?”
The executive summary of Wilmore Community Analysis was conducted by Dr. Lori Garkovich from the department of community and leadership development at the University of Kentucky, and she presented her findings to the city council Monday, Jan. 23.
One side of the report showed a severe lack of residents and visitors patronizing local businesses, and also a need for communication between those businesses and local institutions to address the challenges facing the city. On the other hand, the analysis was positive about the potential of the aesthetically pleasing and “unashamedly Christian” city while also encouraging several steps needed to overcome the roadblocks stagnating its growth.
Growth/no growth
Garkovich’s report gave a statistical portrait of Wilmore from 2000 to 2010 that showed there has been little-to-no growth in the business community, slow-but-steady growth in population, and a need for action to stimulate Wilmore’s business community. It stated that the five major employers in Wilmore that represent 90 percent of the occupational taxes received by the city — Asbury Theological Seminary, Asbury University, Wesley Village, Thomson-Hood Veterans Center, and the public schools — are essentially self-contained institutions. The report urged interaction and dialogue among these institutions and local businesses in an effort to build benefical partnerships.
“There was quite a bit of consensus about what to do, but it’s challenging in the sense that there is a lot of things to do,” Garkovich said about the surveys. “But (Wilmore has) so many assets in that community in the terms of the availability of the two Asbury (seminary and university), an exceptionally good elementary school, a large population of people that have a bachelor’s degree or higher — you would not usually find in a community of that size.”
The survey
The data was compiled from a tour of the community with members of the Wilmore Community Development Board, the mayor and city council members June 7, 2011. Then in October, there were three focus groups open to citizens. The data from those surveys along with an analysis of the state census were given to Dr. Steve Clements, chairman of the economic restructuring committee of the board, for review.
One challenge for the analysis was that the state’s census data was inaccurate due to a mapping oversight that leaves out much of the newly annexed properties of Wilmore. According to the state, the population of Wilmore is 3,686 when in fact it is much closer to 6,000, Dave Carlstedt, Wilmore’s director of utilities and public works, said. This information was compensated for in Garkovich’s report.
Just under one-third of the participants in the focus groups were ages 25-44, and half were age 45-64. Three-in-10 have lived in Wilmore for less than 10 years. More than 90 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that “the stores in Wilmore have good customer service” and that “If I could find the goods and services I want in Wilmore, I would shop at home.”
“I have done work with the community before — two years ago,” Garkovich said. “Some of the same issues that came up last time are the ones that came up this time.”
She stated the issues simply to the city council, saying Main Street Wilmore needs to be more aggressive in its pursuits and keep businesses open longer, maybe even on Sundays.
“It’s kind of the chicken-and-egg argument that happens in most smaller communities,” Garkovich said. “Whether or not to stay open late, especially when you don’t necessarily have the people to help you operate your business. They have to justify hiring a part-time person, and they have to have the sufficient traffic to merit the expense.
“Without the business, they can’t stay open; without staying open, they can’t get the business.”
Residential vs. business
Her report also stated an another reason was the “serious lack of good quality and affordable B1 land in the downtown area or throughout Wilmore.”
The deteriorating condition of buildings in the downtown area reduces their value for retail, commercial or residential use, the report stated. This means that even if people wanted to open a business or live downtown, there are few, if any, suitable options.
“There’s great controversy over the willingnesss to rezone residential properties to business properties,” Rainwater said. “That’s going to mean along Main Street and along Lexington Avenue. The people who live there are very much opposed to that. I think the businesses have and are working really hard, but I think they have such a diminishing market, it’s going to be hard to maintain business in a city of this size.”
Carlstedt agrees with Rainwater that downtown Wilmore is suffering the fate of many central Kentucky towns.
“Beyond a few businesses, there are very few places to walk in and buy something,” Carlstedt said. “That’s both hurting and helping the community.”
Summary
Despite the nature of the analysis, neither Rainwater, Carlstedt nor Garkovich said the results were fatal to the social and economic success of Wilmore.
“I didn’t see that stark of reality from the analysis,” Rainwater said. “I’m pretty much familiar with it, but I think you have to keep coming back with these reports, so that each generation and each new council sees it and gets familiar with the challenges.
“Then the council, business groups and institutions can get moving in the same direction.”
